UW-USC: Coach and Player Quotes

Chris Fetters

10/24/2004

Here are player quotes, as well as comments from USC Head Coach Pete Carroll after the Trojans defeated Washington 38-0 Saturday in Los Angeles. The loss assured UW their first losing season since 1976, and the goosegg on the scoreboard is the first one the Huskies have seen on their side of the ledger since 1981.

USC Head Coach Pete Carroll:
"This was a good game for us. We were forced to deal with our first-half offensive frustration.
We had to regroup and put it together. We're glad that a lot of guys got in. There were a lot
of firsts tonight and a great job by our defense controlling the option."

On the first-half offensive lapses: "We weren't hitting it right. They had a nice little
plan, but we just weren't hitting. We made the adjustments in the second half and took care of it
in the second half."

On the strong performance by the defense: "We played them straight-up. We didn't take too
many chances. They ran what we prepared for. With the great week of practice by the defense, we
did a beautiful job - coaches and players."

On getting a shutout: "Sure, it feels good. It's something nice. There is a pride factor
involved. It's not something that we try to prepare for, but if it's there, we try and shoot for
it. It's nice to see the players fight for it."

Isaiah Stanback:On UW's offensive struggles: "We just never got going as an offense. We just never got
going in the right direction. We didn't execute like we should have. Give credit to USC, they
have a great defense, but we still have to do our part and execute what we're supposed to do."

On the ending of streaks: "It's part of our history. It's part of the reason people
come here to play. You don't want to be part of the team that ends that streak. We have to keep
coming back and working, keep coming back."

On the pitch and fumble: "It was a bad decision. It was tipped when I pitched it. That was my fault. If I could do it
again, I would have just taken the loss."

On USC's defensive line: "I would say yes. That was probably the best defensive front
we've faced all year. You have to give them a lot of credit. It's too bad we didn't get a chance
to test out their secondary too much."

On the decision to continuously throw the ball out of bounds instead of running upfield: "I
just wasn't seeing the right stuff, I wasn't feeling that comfortable. Oregon State didn't really
get a chance to gameplan me and the things that we did as a defense. USC had some time, so they
sat back a little more. I think the coaches wanted me to run more than I did, but I was looking
to get a pass off and I didn't want to force anything. I was trying to be safe, with the hopes
that we would be able to pick it up later on."

On being able to bounce back after a loss: "We've had a lot of losses already this season,
and we've always been able to bounce back and practice hard. Hopefully we'll come out with a
different result next time."

Brad Vanneman:On USC defensive line: "USC's front four is the best I've ever faced. They've got great
penetration without needing to blitz. They're tough to pass block and they are the real deal.
They took away what we wanted to do. We tried to run the option and the best it worked was for
three yards. We couldn't break tackles and we missed blocks."

Derrick Johnson:On rebounding from the loss: "Right now we are itching for a win. We're going to put
this one behind us, probably before we even get on the plane. It's time to focus on Oregon. I'm
going to get film at 8 o'clock in the morning. It's Oregon week and hopefully we can pull
something out. It's big because we need to get a win in the Pac-10. It's a must-win situation."

On his health: "I'm not healthy, but you've got to play through some nicks that you've got. That's what I'm
going to do. I'm going to keep playing. But I don't know if I've been healthy this whole
season, to be honest with you."

On Reggie Bush: "He's amazing. He's got big-play ability, so you have to contain him as
much as you can."

On the youth of the defense: "It's hard. Of course it's going to be hard and they need to
make plays. It's a young system, so it's going to be harder for our older guys."

On not making a bowl: "Yeah, it hit me and it's something hard. You can't let it soak in.
It's my senior year and you don't expect it."

Scott White:
"We made some plays early on and slowed them down. Guys took the fight to them, and that really
impressed me. You can't say enough about the guys' fight on this team. Even though we were
down big in the second half, we went out there and tried to shut them out in the fourth quarter,
which is one of our goals as a defense. Guys played all the way until the end, and I was really
pleased with that."

On the frustration of losing: "It's very frustrating. It's going to be a long winter, but
at the same time we've got to play for pride. We've got our two biggest rivals coming up in
Oregon and Wazzu, so right now is all about pride. It's not time to lay down or fold our tent.
We have to come back Monday and continue to compete. We're playing for the tradition, for the
purple jersey and the gold headgear. That's what we're playing for right now, so we need to come
back Monday and get back to basics."

On the play of the defense: "We were put in some awkward situations because of some
turnovers and they capitalized on them. They just made some more plays than we did. I tip my cap
to them. They are a great football team. It's hard to continue to go out and limit a team like
USC. They are going to make plays because they are such a great offense. For the most part I was
really pleased with our effort. I thought our gameplan was great, getting pressure on Matt Leinart.
I was really excited about that. I was in there a lot, getting in that backfield."

On UW's defensive gameplan: "Just attack them, take the fight to them. And we did that,
and I think that was the difference in the first half, holding them to 10 points. We were
aggressive and we really wanted it. We went after it. And we had some changeups too. I think
Coach (Phil) Snow did a great job."

On the fumble to start the second half: "Yeah, that was a huge deflater, them going in there
17-0. It's going to be hard to come back 17 on a great team like USC. That's been the lesson all
year - we can't turn the ball over. We just need to get back to running, blocking and catching -
the basics."

Chris Hemphill:On getting into the game: "Coach (Snow) had confidence in me and I practiced real well this
week, so Coach said 'be ready' and I was. Coming home to my hometown, I just wanted to play well
for my team and my family."

On his near-pick in the second half: "I just read the quarterback really well and I saw the
receiver break on the corner route, so I was like, 'Money, that's me'. So I went up to get it and
I was thinking about returning it before I caught it. When I tried to bring it in it hit my thigh
pad. I know it's no excuse, but I hope the coaches have confidence in me to make plays like that,
and I guarantee I'll get the job done next time."

On USC's offense: "They weren't as physical as I thought they would be. They are still a
great team, don't get me wrong. I just knew that, coming in, I couldn't be scared. Even though
I'm a freshman, I thought I could play with the big boys - just put me in there and see what I can
do, no problem."

On the loss: "I know we put forth a lot of effort. I can't blame it on the offense and I
can't blame it on the defense, because we have to be a team to win. I just feel like if we all do
our equal parts and put in a lot of effort and hold onto the ball, we win the game."

On frustration setting in: "I think a little frustration is setting in. Everyone still has
a positive attitude, but you can't help but be a little frustrated. It's a school of tradition and
winning, and when we aren't winning it's going to be frustrating. We trying not to let it affect
us. We're just going to go out there and do our best."

On Snow's decision to play him: "He just wanted to get me in the game. He knows that
there's talent sitting on the bench. I haven't played all that much, but I had a great week of
practice. Regardless of the circumstances, he has confidence in me to go out there and help our
team win, so I think that's what he was trying to do."

On Jimmy Newell, and his reduced role: "Any time you have a veteran that's been here for
five years who knows the system real well, he's going to be missed on the defense. But Coach Snow
knows what he's doing and Jimmy has taken it really well. He's coaching up the young people,
because he knows they are the future of the team. He's had a really good attitude about it and I
look to him for answers. He helps me a lot, and I have to give him a lot of credit for that."

On the youth of the team: "I think part of that is due to injuries, but I also think a lot
of that is because we had a good recruiting class coming in, especially with the d-line.
Regardless of the class, it's near the end of the season, so we all need to start playing like
veterans."

Manase Hopoi:On his record-setting day: "I just think about coming out and playing football. I had a
good game personally, but I just came out to play football, that's what I do. It's good for me
and it's good for the team that I had a lot of tackles for loss. I just need to keep preparing
and have a better game next week. Next week I'm aiming for ten tackles for loss and five sacks.
I need to keep getting better and helping my team out."

On why he had a good day against the number-one team in the country: "I just prepared. I
knew what they were going to throw at me, and I know some of the guys and some of the techniques
that have beat 'em. I just practiced hard and tried to perfect what I was doing. I think we did
a good job of getting after it and getting after Matt Leinart."

On what's left to play for: "We've still got a season left, we still have four more games.
We still have a great team and a great defense and we just need to correct some of the errors that
are happening. The battle ain't over yet. We've got four more games left and we just have to
keep fighting."

On where he likes to play on the defensive line: "I like it on the inside, because that's
where they run the ball a lot and I usually get two guys to double-team me, so everyone else gets
one-on-one. I just try my best to compete and beat the guy in front of me and get to the
quarterback or running back."

On what worked: "I was doing the jab-ole, the rip-and-run, the rip-and-roll, the bull rush.
On the first sack I had, I bull-rushed the center and he just fell down. That worked pretty good
for me, but I have to change my schemes because they catch on too. Just keep fighting, that's what
Coach (Randy) Hart says."

On coming out strong: "We came out and stopped 'em in the red zone, made them kick a field
goal. We knew we were in the game. We just tried our best to compete, get after them, make big
plays and stop them from making big plays."

On the youth of the defense: "We have a lot of young talent, and that's why they are out
there playing. I just try to lead 'em. I tell them to keep playing hard. If it's a run, stay
low, stay on your guy, hit, pursue and tackle. That's what Coach Hart tells us all the time. We
have a lot of young talent and they are going to get better, a lot better."

On USC's offense: "They were really good, really big and physical. I came ready to play.
They are a good team. They aren't number-one for no reason. At halftime, they knew we were ready
to play, so they came back out with a meaner mentality. Overall, our defense did pretty good."

On talking smack in the trenches: "We were exchanging a couple of words. I saw that Fred
(Matua) had a strap on his back, so I told him that he had a bad back and he needed to sit out.
(Duce) Lutui is Tongan and I'm Tongan, so we were talking in Tongan on the field, telling him that
I was coming after him. We were just having fun, playing football and having fun."

On his future: "I'm definitely coming back. We've got a young team and I think I can help
out and lead them the right way. I think we can be good. If the opportunity comes at me, I might
think twice, but I've got a lot to improve on before I get to the next level. I don't think I'm
quite ready for the next level yet. I need to improve my speed and strength and everything else."